


Tomorrow

by some_nights



Category: Downton Abbey
Genre: Drinking & Talking, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-04 12:25:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14020200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/some_nights/pseuds/some_nights
Summary: Thomas has some wine and doesn't want to drink alone.





	Tomorrow

Jimmy found himself in Mr. Barrow’s room more evenings than not. He was sure at least some of the others noticed, but they didn't comment on it. Neither did Mr. Barrow or Jimmy himself for that matter. He was glad for it. On one of those evenings, Jimmy was sitting on his chair, the second chair that had mysteriously appeared in Mr. Barrow’s room after his third visit there, and the under-butler produced a bottle of wine.  
“His Lordship and her Ladyship didn't drink all of it, but if it had been standing another day, it would spoil. Mr. Carson wanted to take it, of course, but I could persuade him to give it to me.”  
“I won't even ask how you managed that”, Jimmy smiled and Thomas grinned. Jimmy liked when he made the older man grin and smile. It made him feel special.  
“Anyway, I was wondering. Would you like to have a few glasses with me, Jimmy? Drinking with a friend is always better than drinking alone.“  
Jimmy hesitated for a moment and Mr. Barrow added: “Unless, of course, you would not feel comfortable drinking alone with me.”  
“Nothing of that sort.” Jimmy shook his head. It was true, he had been uncomfortable with Mr. Barrow at first, with all the small touches at the beginning and then the incident. But even though barely three weeks had passed since they went to the fair, Jimmy now felt more comfortable in Mr. Barrow’s presence than with anyone else in this house. Maybe too comfortable, but Jimmy didn't dwell on that thought. He added: “I just don't know whether I should. Whether it would be proper.”  
Mr. Barrow smiled and said with that voice that he only ever used when he spoke to Jimmy: “That doesn't usually stop you from anything.”  
He was, of course, right. Jimmy was reckless. Not as reckless as he could be, but more than he ought to be. So against his better judgment, he accepted the offered wine. It was better than he'd expected. He told Mr. Barrow as much.  
“I do not wish you'd call me Thomas, you know. Especially in a situation like this.”  
“Even in a situation like this, Mr. Barrow, you are still the under-butler and deserving of my respect.”  
Truth to be told, Jimmy was scared to call him by his Christian name. There was a certain intimacy in that, and he didn’t know whether he was ready for that.  
“Very well.”  
As on the evenings before this one, they talked about the paper, the articles in it, the state of the world. And as on the evenings before this one, Jimmy felt as if these were the only moments each of them was true. He knew for himself that, in Mr. Barrow’s room, he laid down his mask and became who he was when no one was watching. He always entered the room tense and scared, but that tension melted the more they talked and was replaced by a certain warmth and fondness. Usually, Jimmy excused himself after they had exhausted the newspaper talk. Tonight, however, perhaps due to the wine, he felt too much at peace to leave. He let the warmth spread through his whole body. His rising body temperature was definitely due to the wine.  
“It really is hot in here, isn't it?”, Jimmy said and began to remove part of his work uniform.  
Mr. Barrow shot him a cautious glance. “Jimmy…”  
“Thomas”, Jimmy said and tasted the name on his tongue, sweeter than honey. Thomas took a shaky breath as if Jimmy had touched him on his most intimate parts. In truth, the footman had just dissolved a barrier between them. They were no longer Jimmy and Mr. Barrow, a footman and an under-butler who happened to be friends. Now, they were undoubtedly more.  
“I have to apologise to you”, Jimmy said, leaning a little closer to Thomas. He wanted to touch his face, stroke his cheek, run a finger along those lips that now curved into a sad smile.  
“Oh Jimmy. You have nothing to apologise for.”  
“But Thomas, I do.”  
Now that he had said it once, he wanted to say the name over and over again. Thomas. Thomas. Thomas. He didn't dare to. Not yet.  
“If this is about the unpleasant business before we became friends, I know you didn't mean anything by it. And even if you did, it was just punishment for my unwanted advances. I am the one who should apologise, though I think I already did, more than once. Besides, everything turned out well in the end.”  
“You see”, Jimmy said and looked at Thomas’s knee, not daring to lift his eyes for the next words. “They were not entirely unwanted.”  
Silence. He was aware of his own breathing, not exactly loud, but the only discernible sound. A door was shut in the hallway. Probably Alfred going to bed. Maybe wondering where Jimmy was, maybe not even spending a second thought on him. Jimmy couldn't bear it anymore and lifted his eyes. Thomas was looking at him, staring at him, mouth agape, wine glass, almost empty again, frozen halfway. Jimmy blushed but held his gaze. The warmth racing through his body grew hotter with every passing second until Jimmy felt he would burn up if he had to bear it any longer.  
Still, they sat in silence.  
“Oh Jimmy”, Thomas finally breathed. It could have been seconds, minutes or hours. For Jimmy, it felt like years had passed while he had waited for the other man to say something, anything. “Do you mean it?”  
“Would it please you if I did?”  
“You know it would. You are well aware of my feelings regarding you.”  
Jimmy took a sip of wine. His mouth was dry as a desert. “Then”, he said, throat and mouth still dry despite the wine having washed through them. “I do mean it.”  
“Jimmy, my dearest boy”, Thomas whispered. “You cannot imagine how much I yearn to kiss you right now.”  
“Then do it”, Jimmy whispered back, for he didn't quite have the courage to do it himself.  
Thomas shook his head. “I can't. This could be just the wine talking. I don’t want to jeopardize our friendship with hasty actions you might regret when you are sober again.”  
“Tomorrow then”, Jimmy said, though he felt like he couldn't wait for another second.  
Thomas smiled and said: “If, by tomorrow, you find you do not regret your words or have changed your mind, then yes. Tomorrow.”  
Jimmy put his now empty wine glass on the tray with the bottle and got up.  
“Thomas, I am sure I will not regret what I have said today, as I would not have regretted if anything had happened between us. The wine just loosened my tongue enough for me to finally speak the truth. But it does you credit that you are not taking advantage of my tipsy state.”  
“I have taken advantage of you once and never will again”, Thomas said earnestly.  
Jimmy went towards the door but stopped at Thomas’s chair. He laid a hand upon the man’s shoulders and pressed once, gently. He felt Thomas shudder.  
“Good night, Mr. Barrow”, Jimmy said. “See you tomorrow.”  
“Tomorrow”, Thomas echoed. “Good night, Jimmy.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this little one-shot! I might write a second chapter about what exactly happens "tomorrow" if there's any interest ;)  
> As always, comments and kudos are appreciated and if you want, say hi on [tumblr](https://writtelings.tumblr.com)!


End file.
